Electrically-controlled coin-feeding appliance for vending-machines.



No. 659,533. Patented Oct. 9, I900. R. KANN. ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED COIN FEEDING APPLIANCE FDR VENDING MACHINES.

(Application filailhr. 8, 1900.)

3 Shuts-Sheet I.

(IN) Model.)

No. 659,533. Patented Oct. 9, I900. B. KANN.

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED COIN FEEDING APPLIANCE FOB VENDING MACHINES.

(Application filed In; 8, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shoot 2.

No. 659,533. Patented Oct. 9, I900. R. KANN.

ELEGTRIGALLY GONTBOLLED'COIN FEEDING APPLIANCE FOR VENDING MACHINES.

(Application filed Kat. 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

2k :5 Mn an M m: ucnms vEYcRs co. Puomuwa, WASHINGTON n c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD KANN, OF JENA, GERMANY.

ELECTRICALLY-CONTROLLED COIN-FEEDING APPLIANCE FOR VENDING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,533, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed March 8, 1900. berial No. 7,838- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, RICHARD KANN, a subject of the King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany, residing at Jena-on-the-Saale, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Controlled Coin-Feeding Appliances for Vending- Machines; and ldo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to vendingmachines,

- and more particularly to appliances for controlling the passage of the coin from the guide or chute to the mechanism Which controls the delivery of the merchandise vended.

One of the objects of this invention lies in the arrangement of an electrically and mechanically controlled cut-off device at the coin-exit of the coin-receiving guide or chute and means whereby the coin reaching such exit will close an electric circuit including an electromagnet whose armatureis adapted to move the cut-oif to clear the exit and allow the coin to pass farther into the machine, and in combination therewith means whereby the electric circuit is immediately reclosed after having been opened by the coin moving away from the closing-contacts to prevent the cut off from being immediately returned to a normal position by the mechanical appliance, as a spring, on such opening of the circuit and the liability of the coin being jammed in the exit of the coin-guide by said cut-off, means being provided foropening the circuit through the agency of the coin after it is moved out of reach of the cut-off device.

A further object of my invention lies in the arrangement of a pin rality of coin-receiving guides or chutes either for the reception of coins of uniform or of different values and in the provision of means whereby the electric circuit through the electromagnet is only then closed when a coin has been introduced into each of said guides or chutes, and the combination therewith of appliances whereby i he electricappliances which control the opening of the coin-exits in the coin-guides may be rendered inoperative, so that a. machine having a plurality of such receiving guides or chutes may be used for vending articles of different values. Thus, for instance, in a machine having a plurality of coin-receiving guides one or more of which are destined for the reception of coins of a given value and others for the reception of coins of different value, merchandise may be vended of the aggregate value of the coins to be introduced into all of the guides or of the value of the coin to be introduced into one or more of said guides, as will hereinafter appear.

That myinvention may be fully understood, I will describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sectional views, taken at right angles to each other, of so in uch of a coin-controlled vending machine as will be necessary to illustrate my invention; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating electrically controlled coin feeding appliances in which I have shown an arrangement of seven coin-receiving guides or chutes and appliances, whereby one or more or all but one of the coin-controlled circuit-closers may be cut out of the electric circuits for purposes above stated.

The first object of myinvention I attain by the means illustrated in Fig. 1,wherein a indicates a coin-guide provided with a coin-exit slot normally closed by a cut-0E slide if, on the upper face of which is an electric contact e,normally in register with the aforesaid exitslot in guide a,which has a slot diametrically opposite said exit-slot, into which projects a spring-coutactb on a conductive lever Z, fulcrumed to the guide a. The free end of said lever is forked and engages a stud or pin 1) below its head and has bearing on a spring coiled on said stud, whereby the Tension of spring I) may be regulated. A coin d,(shown in dotted lines,) introduced into guide a, will roll along the same, and its progress will be arrested by the spring I) and contact 9, and so held above the exit-slot in said guide, said I contacts constituting terminals of an electric circuit presently to be described. Below the cut off slide and in line with the exit-slot in the coin-guide a is arranged a coin-delivery guide or chute m, and below the coin-exit thereof a circuit-breaker g. The cut-off slide 'Lis secured to one arm of a lever Z, to the other arm of which is secured the armature of an electromagnet t'. The lever Z, carrying contact-spring b, is connected through wires 3 4 with one terminal of the electromagnet. t', the other terminal being connected with the contact f of the circuit-breaker 9 through wire 5. The lever g is connected by wire 7 with one pole of battery h, whose other pole is connected by wires 1 2 with the armature-lever Z,which is of a conductive material, and at a proper distance from said lever in the direction of its motion under the action of its armature 7c is arranged a contact 01, connected by wire 8 with wires 3 e.

A coin d, dropped into guide a,will roll between spring I) and contact 6 on slide 2f, closing the battery-circuit, current flowing therefrom through wires 1 2, armature-lever Z, contact e on slide i, through said coin cl, and via spring 19, wires 3 4:, electromagnet t', wire 5, contacts f g, and wires 7 to the opposite pole of the battery 71, the electromagnet i is energized, the armature attracted, and the slide moved through armature-lever Z to uncover the coin-exit slot in guide a. As this takes place contact between e on slide 25 and said coin is interrupted, thereby interrupting the electric circuit, and without provision to prevent this the slide if would immediately be retracted by its spring 0 and might jam the coin in said exit-slotbefore such coin can drop throu gh it and past the slide,and thereby nullify the operation of the machine; but as the slide 25 is moved by the armature-lever Z to uncover the aforesaid coin-exit slot, said lever being included in the battery-circuit 1 through branch 2 coming in contact with 77/, immediately recloses said circuit, current flowing then from one pole of battery It via 1 2, Z, n, 8 4, electroinagnet t', 5, f, g, G 7 to the opposite poleof said battery it, thus maintaining the circuit closed and the electromagnet energized and allowing the coin d to drop into coin-delivery chute m. As said coin leaves the chute m it drops onto the arm g of circuit-breaker g, thereby moving the same out of contact withf and opening the electric circuit. The electromagnet being demagnetized its armatur It is released, allowing the spring 0 to move the slide 6 back to its normal position, the leverl moving out of contact with it, thus placing the parts ready for the reception of another coin.

The second object of my invention I attain by the arrangement shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 2 I have shown my invention in its application to a vending-machine having three coin-receiving guides a, c, and (1 arranged in a line, and below said guides is arranged the cut-cit slide t, having two coinslots and three contacts 6 e 6 so arranged that when slide 6 is in a normal position its contacts will be in register with the coineXit slots in the respective guides, as shown, so that a movement of the slide under the action of lever Z will move said contacts out of register with said exit-slots, uncover the slot in guide a, and bring the slide-slots into register with the exit-slots in guides a a as will be readily seen from the drawings. With the contacts 6 e c cooperate spring-contacts b 1) b as hereinbefore described, to retain the coins and close the electric circuit, and below the slide is a coin-deliveryguide or chute having a hopper-top common to all three coin-receiving guides. The electric circuits are substantially as hereinabove described in respect of Fig. 1; but if the machine is used for dispensing goods the value of which requires the introduction of a coin into each of the three guides provision must be made to effect the closure of the electric circuit only when a coin is held between each pair of contacts. Furthermore,it is advantageous that a machine of this kind should be so organized that it may operate with one or two or all three guides. These results I attain as follows: A switch-lever 00, adapted to be moved to one or the other of three contacts 4 4* T is connected by wires 13 16 1 with one pole of battery h, the other pole of which is connected by wire 7 to the circuit-opener lever g and through coi'it-act-springf and wire 5 with one terminal of the electromagnet ii, the other terminal of said magnet being connected through wires -1 9 8 with the contact n. eluded through wire 10 in the electromagnetcircuit 9 El, the slide-contact c is connected by wire 11 with spring-contact l) of guide a, and the slide-contact e is connected by wire 12 with spring-contact b of guide a while slide-contact e is includedin the battery-circuit 13 16 1 through wire 3, and lever l is included in the same circuit through branch wire 2, as hereinbefore set forth, 0 indicating the retracting-spring for said lever. Finally, wires 11 and 12 are connected by wires 14 15, respectively, with switch-contactsrand 0". It the operation ofthe apparatus is to be conditioned upon the dropping ot'a coin (shown in dotted lines and indicated by d d 61 into each of the guides to a M, the switch-lever a is placed on insulation r thereby switching contacts r *1" out of the circuit. As soon asa coin is held between the slide and spring contacts of each coin-guide current flows as follows: from battery h via 1 10 3, c coin (1 contact 5 wire 12, contact 6, coin (1/, spring 12', wire 11, contact 6, coin d, spring 1), wires 10 4, electromagnet 2', wire 5, contact f, circuit-breaker g, and wires (5 7 to the opposite pole of said battery, the electromaguet '11 is energized, the slide moved to allow the coins in the guides at a c to drop into deliverychute m, and at the same time lever Z contacts with n, thereby reclosing the circuit opened by the coins (l d (1 moving out of contact with their respective spring and slide contacts, current then flowing from battery h through wires 1 2, contact 77., wires 9 4, l electromagnet 11, wire 5, contact. f, circuit- The spring-contact b of guide a is in-' ITO breaker 9, wires 6 7, back to battery h. Inasmuch as the spring and slide contacts are included in the main electric circuit in series, it is obvious that if a coin were dropped into one of the guides only or into two of said guides the electric circuit would not be closed, because if no coin were in guide a the circuit would be broken at that point, and so also if there were no coin in either of the guides at a, but one in guide a as will be readily understood. If only two or only one of the coin-guides a a a is to be used, the entrance to those or to that guide not in use will be closed by any desired means, so as to avoid loss to the public. When one of the coinguides only is usedsay guide athe switchlever 00 is placed on contact 7", the circuit being then closed as follows: battery h, wires 1 16 13, 90, r, 14 11, 6, coin d, spring 1), wires 9 4, electromagnet 1', wire 5, contactf, lever g, wires 6 7, back to battery, the circuit being maintained closed, as before described, until opened by the action of the coin dropping from chute m onto arm g of lever g. If, on the other hand, lever 03 is placed on contact r, guides a and a are in use and it will be necessary to drop a coin into each to close the circuit, current then flowing from battery it via 1 16 13, l r, 12, 6, coin d, b, 11, 6, coin d, b, 10 4, t', 5, f, g, 6 7, and back to battery. The number of coin-receiving guides may be increased and at the same time means provided whereby one or more or all of said guides may be utilized.

In Fig. 8 I have shown, diagrammatically, an arrangement of seven guides. The arrangement may, for instance, be such that guide Ct should be for the reception of fivecent pieces, guides a a a a each for the reception of ten cent pieces, guide a for the reception of fifty-cent pieces, and guide a for the reception of one-dollar pieces, the aggregate amount equaling one dollar and ninetyfive cents, so that the apparatus can be used for vending merchandise either of the said aggregate value or of a value of five cents or multiples thereof up to the aggregate value. Instead of arranging one of a pair of terminal contacts on the cut-off slide tand the other above said contacts may be arranged in pairs above the slide, so as to be closed by a coin arrested by the spring-contact of a pair, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the electrical connections are materially simplified. In said Fig. 3 the same symbols of reference are used to indicate like parts described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2, said symbols being provided with suitable affixes, a single cut-off slidet and a coin-delivery chute common to all the coin-receiving guides and of course a single electromagnet for moving the slide in one direction being used, together with a single battery h.

In order to adapt the apparatus for use with one or more or all of the coin-guides, suitable switches are provided, as will presently appear.

The contacts 6 to e inclusive are res ectively connected by wires 10 to 15, inclusive, with the spring-contacts b to b, inclusive, of adjacent coin-guides. Thus eof guide ais connected with b of guide a by wire 10, e of guide a is connected by wire 11 with 11 of guide (0 and so on throughout the series of contacts. Spring-contacts Z) to I) are respectively connected by wires to 26 with contacts G H I K L M N, controlled by a switchleverX, connected by wire 1 with one pole of battery h, while contacts e to e are respectively connected through wires 30 to 36 with contacts P, Q, R, S, 'l, U, and V, controlled by a switch-lever Z, connected through wires 3 4 and branch wire 0, respectively, with one terminal of electromagnet 2' and with the contact n, hereinbefore described, the other terminal of said electromagnet being connected with the other pole of said battery it through wire 5. The armature-lever Z isincluded in the battery-circuit through wire 7, circuitbrcakerfg and branch 8, connected with wire 1. Contact e of guide a is connected by wire 2 with a switchlever \V, which lies normally on an insulation A and is adapted to be moved into contact with contacts B, O, I), E, and F, respectively connected through wires 42 to 46 with the contacts I K L M N of the series controlled by switch-lever X, above referred to. There is a fourth switch Y normally on an insulation 8 and adapted to be moved into contact with a contact 0. Lever Y through branch 28 is included in the circuit 26 of the spring-contact b and contacts N F, while contact 0 through branch 27 is included in the circuit 25 of spring-contact Z7 and contacts M E, whereby both circuits 25 and 26 can be directly connected through said switch Y.

If, for instance, coin-guide a only is to be made use of, switch X is placed on G and switch Z on V, switches \V Y remaining in their normal positions on A s, respectively. A five-cent piece being introduced into guide a, spring-contact b will close upon contact 0 and current will flow from battery h via 1, X, G, 20, Z), c, 30, V, Z, 3 4, e-lectromagnet z', 5, and back to battery. At the same time the slide 75 will be moved by armature-leverl into contact with n for purposes hereinbefore setforth, current then flowing from battery 7L via 1 8, g, f, 7, Z, n, 6, and 4 to electromagnet i and back to battery via 5. If the guide a only is to be used, switch X will be on H, while switch Z is placed on U. A ten-cent piece being introduced into coin-guide a, the spring I) will close upon contact 6 and current will flow from battery h via1 X H 21 b c 31 U Z 3 4 1T 5 back to battery, the circuit being maintained open, as before described. If guides at and a are to be used, switch X is on G and switch Z on U. A five-cent piece introduced into guide a and a ten-cent piece into guide a closes their respective cont-acts Z) c and b 6, current flowing from battery It via 1 X G 20 Z) c 10 b c 31 U Z 3 4 z 5 back to battery,

XIO

the circuit being likewise maintained open, as before described. If coin-guides a a are to be used that is to say, if the vending price is twenty cents, a ten-cent piece for each guideswitch X will be moved to H and switch Z to T. If the vending price is twentyfive cents, guides CLCL'Ct bel11g used, switch X is placed on G and switch Z on T. If the vending price is to be thirty cents, switch X is placed on H and Z on S. If said price is to be thirty-five cents, X will be on G and Z on S; if forty cents, X will be on H and Z on R; if forty-five cents, X will be on G and Z on H; if fifty cents, X will be on M and Zen Q, current then flowing from battery 72. via 1 X M 25 b e 35 Z 3 a i back to battery. If the vending price is to be iifty-five cents, switch W is placed on E, switch X on G, and switch Z on Q. Current then flows from batteryhvialXG2O beZWE 451125 b c 35 Q Z 3 at t' 5 back to battery; if sixty cents, X is placed onL and Z on Q; if sixtyfive cents, W is placed on I), X on G, and Z on Q; if seventy cents, Xis placed on K and Z on Q, and so on. If the vending price is one dollar, X is placed on N andZ on P. If said price is one dollar and five cents, is placed on F, X on G, and Z on P, cdrrent then flowing from battery It via 1 X G b e 2 N F 46 N 26 b a 3G PZ 341' 5 back to battery. If the vending price is to be one dollar and ten cents, X is placed on L, Y on O, and Z on P; if one dollar and fifteen cents,

. X is placed on G, W' on D, Y on O, and Z on P, current then flowing from battery h via 1 XQOZJeZXV D44L24cbe -1e 55 2701 28 56 b e 36 P Z 3 at 5 back to battery. If the vending price is one dollar and fifty cents, X is placed on M and Z on P; if one dollar and fifty-five cents, X is placed on G, NV on E, and Z on P; if one dollar and sixty cents, X is placed on L and Z on P; if one dollar and sixty-five cents, W is placed on D, X on G, and Z on P; if one dollar and ninety-five cents, X is placed on G and Z on P.

From the above description the current in each case can be readily traced, it being of course understood that at each closure of the circuit by a coin or coins said circuitis maintained closed through contact a and the described connections with battery 7L through electromagnet 2' and will remain so closed until the eoin or coins open the same by dropping on circuit-breaker g, as hereinbefore described.

By means of the described arrangement the spring-contacts b b b 850., are so connected that the pairs of contacts closed by several coinsintroduced into several guides are successively included in the electric circuit.

The number and value of the coins, or, in other words, the number and value of the various coin-guides, can of course be varied almost ad lithium, and instead of using a reeiprocating cut-off slide a rotary or a vibratory cut-off may be used and without changing the operation of the apparatus or the nature of my invention.

It will furthermore be evident to any electrician that the movement of the cut-off slide to clear the coin exit or eXits in the coin guide or guides may be sufficiently amplified and the coin-slots therein made of sufficient length to afford the necessary time for the coin or coins to drop into chute on before the spring 0 can retract the slide and jam such coin or coins in the coin-exit or coin-exits. This, however, would require a greater space, and in a machine having a great number of coinguides the slide would have to be of comparatively great length, and the accuracy of its movements might thereby be endangered.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Coin-feeding devices for coin-controlled vending-machines, comprising a coin-receiving guide, a cut-off normally blocking the coin-exit in said guide, means for moving said cut-off back to a normal position when moved out of it to clear said coin-exit, and an electrically'operated appliance for moving the cut-off to clear such exit; in combination with an electric circuit including the cut-off-operating appliance, circuit-terminals in the path of the coin in the guide arranged to be electrically connected by said coin to close the electric circuit and thereby cause the cutoff-operating appliance to move said cut-off clear of said coin-exit, and a circuitbreaker in the path of and controlled by the released coin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 4

2. Coin-feeding devices for coin-controlled vending-machines, comprising a coin-guide, a cut-off normally blocking the coin-exit in said guide, means for moving said cut-off back to a normal position when moved clear of the exit, an electrically-controlled appliance for moving such cut-oif clear of such exit, an electric circuit including said appliance, and circuit-terminals in the path of the coin in the guide arranged to be electrically connected by such coin to close said circuit and thereby cause the cut-oif-operating appliance to move the eut-o'ff'clear of the coinexit, and a circuit-breaker in the path of and operated by the released coin; in combination with an auxiliary circuit-closer operating to close the circuit the moment the cut-off has cleared the aforesaid coin-exit, for the purpose set forth.

3. Coin-feeding devices for coin-controlled vending-machines, comprising a plurality of coin-guides, cut-off devices normally blocking the coin-exits in said guides, means for moving said devices back to a normal position when moved clear of said exits, electrically-controlled appliances for moving said cut-off devices clear of said coin-exits, an electric circuit including said appliances, circuit-terminals in each coin-guide arranged to be electrically connected by the coins in IIO said guides, said terminals included in series in the electric circuit, and a circuit-breaker arranged to be operated by the released coin; in combination with switch devices for switching any one or more of the pairs of coin-controlled ci rcuit-terminals out of the circuit, for the purpose set forth.

4. Coin-feeding devices for coin-controlled vending-machines, comprising a plurality'of coin-guides, cut-off devices normally blocking the coin-exits in said guides, means for moving said devices back to a normal position when moved clear of said exits, electricallycontrolled appliances for moving said cut-01f devices clear of said coin-exits, an electric circuit includingsaid appliances, circuit-terminals in each coin-guide arranged to be electrically connected by the coins in said guides, said terminals included in series in the electric circuit, and a circuit-breakerarranged to'be operated by the released coins; in combination with switch devices forswitching any one or more of the pairs of coin-controlled circuit-terminals out of the circuit, and a circuit-closer operating to close the electric circuit the moment the cut-off devices have cleared the coin-exits in the coin-guides, for the purpose set forth.

5. Coin-feeding devices for coin-controlled vendingmachines, comprising a plurality of coin-guides, a coin-delivery chute below the coin-exits of and common to all said guides, a cut-off slide com mon to and normally blocking the coin-exits of said guides between the delivery-chute and coin-exits, an electromagfiet and its armature, the latter connected with and moving the slide clear of said coinexits, and a retracting-spring formoving the slide back to a normal position; in combination with an electric circuit including the aforesaid electromagnet, a pair of circuitterminals in each coin-guide in the path of and arranged to be electrically connected by the coins in said guides to close the electric circuit, said terminals included in series in said circuit, a circuit-breaker at the outlet of the coin-delivery chute, and switch devices for switching any one or more of the coin-controlled circuit-terminals out of circuit, for the purpose set forth.

6. Coin-feeding devices for coin-controlled vending-machines, comprising a plurality of.

coin-guides, a coin-delivery chute below the coin exits of and common to all said guides, a cut-off slide common to and normally blocking the coin-exits of said guides between the delivery-chute and coin-exits, an electromagnet and its armature, the latter connected with and moving the slide clear of said coineXits, and a retracting-spring for moving the slide back to a normal position; in combination with an electric circuitincluding the aforesaid electromagnet, a pair of circuitterminals in each coin-guide in the path of and arranged to be electrically connected by the coins in said guides to close the electric circuit, said terminals included in series in said circuit, a circuit-closer controlled by the movements of the electromagnet-armature to close the electric circuit the moment the cutoff slide has moved clear of the aforesaid coin-exits, a circuit-breaker atthe outlet of the coin-delivery chute, and switch devices for switching any one or more of the coincontrolled terminals out of the circuit, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD KANN Witnesses:

W OLDEMAR HAUPT, WILLIAM MAYNER. 

